Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe COLUMBUS, Ohio, March 25 (UPI) -- The Columbus Zoo in Ohio announced the hatching of a baby brown kiwi, a first-time occurrence for the facility. Zookeepers said the North Island brown kiwi, a flightless bird native to New Zealand, hatched at the zoo Wednesday, becoming the fifth to hatch in North America during the past five years, The Columbus Dispatch reported Thursday. Advertisement Patty Peters, a zoo spokeswoman, said zookeepers will use DNA testing to establish the gender of the bird, which hatched about 86 days after the egg was laid by its mother. Officials said only about 5 percent of kiwis born in the wild make it to adulthood due to non-native predators, including cats and dogs. "The fact this egg successfully hatched is a testament to the amazing care and attention given by our staff in consultation with professional colleagues around the world," zoo president Dale Schmidt said.
